Gun having means for directly canting the trunnion axis



March 21, 1939. c, WANINGER 2,151,630

GUN HAVING MEANS FOR DIRECTLY CANTING THE TRUNNION AXIS Filed March 5, 1936 I-nven'fo/t al? Wan 72578! Patented Mar. 21, 1939 GUN HAVING IWEANS FOB, DIRECTLY CANTING THE TRUNNION AXIS Carl Waninger, Dusseldorf, Germany, assignor to Rheinmetall-Borsig Aktiengesellschaft,

Dus-

seldorf, Germany, a corporation of Germany Application March 3, 1936, Serial No. 66,949 In Germany May 23, 1933 1 Claim.

The invention relates to gun mountings with mechanism for enabling the gun, without the carriage, to be so operated that it will still maintain its direction in space, when the platform on which the mounting is attached is subject to tilting. Such gun mountings have, between the usual trunnion axis and the vertical traversing axis on the base, a third generally horizontal axis extending parallel to the base. By suitable canting of the gun about this third axis the trunnion axis can be maintained always horizontal notwithstanding the tilting of the base or platform supporting the mounting, and by simultaneous turning of the gun about the trunnion axis, the gun maintains its direction in space unchanged. The aforesaid third or horizontal axis is herein designated as the horizon adjustment axis or shaft because it enables the effect of the shifting of the gun platform relatively to the horizon to be eliminated in the aiming of the gun. The horizon adjustment movements of the gun in traverse and elevation are effected by manual drive in accordance with horizon determining devices such as horizon telescopes, levels, or gyroscopes. Simultaneously the sighting devices may also be given horizon adjustment so that both elevation and also traversing corrections can be transmitted to them without re-calculation.

The invention provides for such gun mountings such an arrangement of the horizon adjustment parts that a simple and compact construction of the mounting is possible and the said adjustment can be performed in difierent independent ways. The arrangement is such that the means for imparting the horizon adjustment movements to the gun, acts at the intersection of the adjustment shaft with the axis of traverse.

As an example of means for imparting horizon adjustment movements to the gun there is herein described a double slide device arranged coaxial with the axis of the pivotal traverse motion of the gun and so equipped that it can be selectively locked to a part of the carriage participating in said motion; or to the fixed base. The device can also be disengaged from the horizon adjustment shaft.

If the double slide is engaged with the base, then the table or body of the slide is fixed relatively to the base, independently of turning ofthe gun and carriage. The operation of the slide can then be effected in known manner by a horizon gyroscope fixed to the platform at any suit-' able location.

If the double slide is engaged with the pivot- I able part of the carriage, then it can be operated in known manner by an inertia frame arranged under the carriage. If a control post is available, pivotable about three axes like the gun, then the double slide can be controlled from such post, also in known manner.

If thed'o'uble slide is'dlsengaged'from the horizon adjustment shaft,- then the latter can be turned by hand, according to the indications of a horizon determining device, for example a horizo'n'telescope. f

- Summarizing; the gun mounting according to the invention makes it possible to obtain the following horizon adjustments:

' (1)""Automatica1lyunder control by a horizon determining gyroscope-fixed on the platform.

(2) Automatically under control by an inertia frame turning with the "gun carriage.

(3)- Automatically under control from a suitable triaxial control post.

(4) Manually under control of a suitable horizon determining device.

By providing these various independent possibilities of horizon adjustment great reliability isguaranteed since upon failure of one of these means, adjustment of the gun for horizon can be effected by one of the other means.

The gun, adjusted for horizon, can be aimed in all four cases by normal traversing and elevating gears which are positively adjusted for horizon along with the gun.

An example of an embodiment of the invention is shown diagrammatically in the drawing.

About the base A fixed firmly to the ship there pivots a guncarriage member B, at the top of which and cutting the pivotal axis at right angles, there is mounted the horizon-adjustment shaft C. Around a fork C" formed on this shaft there is mounted a bifurcated cradle support D, pivotable about the trunnions E3 of the gun cradle E1 in which the gun barrel E is mounted.

The cradle E1, can be pivoted in the cradle sup-- port D by means of elevating gear, which includes a worm Dimounted in the cradle support D and a worm-toothed quadrant E2 fixed to the cradle E1. r

The base A has an upwardly extending axial pillar M supportinga double slide device comrising a table F which can turn on the pillar and which has a guide F2 extending parallel to the shaft C, for a longitudinal slide F3. The slide F3 has a transverse guide F4 for a cross slide F5, the movements of the slides F3 and F5 thus being at right angles to'each other. A ball joint member Ge'lodges in a spherical cavity in the centre of the slide F5. The centre-of the ball joint member G2 lies in the axis of the pillar M, that is the axis of pivoting'of the carriage member B for the traverse of the gun, when the deck of the ship is horizontal. The member (32' has a vertical axial bore in which engages a pin G3 on the end of a forked lever G. "The pin 'G3 can move axially in the bore of the member G2. The movements of the slides F3, F5 on the table F are efiected in known manner through gearing by means of electric motors, which are controlled, in manner riage in its gun traversing movement about its pivotal axis.

The double slide device operates to rotate the horizon adjustment shaft C through the lever G. The forks of this lever are trunnioned to an axially slidable coupling member G1 in which the shaft C can turn and which co-operates with another coupling member slidable but non-rotatable on said shaft, and which is actuable by a hand lever L, whereby the coupling member G1 can be coupled to the shaft. The axis of the pin G3 passes through the point of lntersectionof the carriage pivot axis and of the axis of the shaft C coinciding with the pivot axis which is at right angles to the shaft axis.

The cradle support D, the horizon adjustment telescope H, and the auxiliary sighting device J are so connected to the lever G and moved with the horizon adjustment shaft C that they are also simultaneously elevationally adjusted. These connections are made by links H, H1.

The sighting device J shown diagrammaticaily in the drawing contains a sighting line which is operated in known manner for elevation transverse. Since the sighting device 5 always remains horizontal independent of all movements of the base, the direction connections calculated for the horizontal training circle and for the vertical elevation circle can be conveniently given a in the sighting device Wi hout recalculation. By actuating the elevating and training mechanisms the sighting line will be kept directed on the target, in known manner, and the gun will be given constantly the correct line of fire.

- The coupling mechanism which controls connection between the member G1 and the horizon adjustment shaft C, also operates a coupling K1 K2 for engaging this shaft with a worm toothed sector K carried by the member K1 of the coupling in which the shaft can turn, the other member K2 being fastened to the shaft and slidable thereon by means of the hand lever L. The

sector K is engaged by a Worm operated by a hand wheel as shown. When the coupling b tween shaft -C and the cradle support D is disengaged, the coupling K1 K2 is engaged, and

rotation of the handwheel causes the shaft to be turned and to cant the gun cradle trun nions about the axis of said shaft. By the aid of the horizon determining telescope H mounted on the shaft C and canting therewith to the same extent, it is possible to keep the gun trunnions always horizontal even when the base A is tilted. For this purpose, by actuating'the sector K by its worm gear, a hair line visible in the telescope 1-1 v the parts about the axis of the shaft C the centre of gravity of these parts must be in said axes,

' and for this purpose there is provided a counterthus retains the lever G, and with it the attached parts including the gun, in their original direction in space. If the gun cants only in the plane of the line of fire then the slide F3 receives such actuation that the lever G and parts connected thereto by links are compelled to rotate, relatively to the shift of the base, in the opposite direction to the carriage. If the gun cants in any direction, the movements of the slides F3 and F5 combine with each other in such a way that the lever G remains vertical and the parts connected thereto retain their direction in space. If the carriage is turned,'with the cross slides stationary, then the ball member G2 turns in the slide F5 without the latter having any reaction on the transmission of horizon adjustment movements by the lever G.

The double slide F may be operated by remotecontrol from a gyroscopic horizon fixed to the ship and for this purpose it can be coupled with the fixed base A. If the cross-slide F is connected with the 'pivotable gun carriage member B, then it can be controlled by an inertia device connected with the gun carriage or from a tri-axial control post.'

This possibility of cross coupling the horizonadjustment device (double slide or the like) either so that it is fixed to the ship, or is in pivotal relation thereto, can also be applied with advantage to gun carriages in which for constructional reasons, the horizon-adjustment device, as described above, is not situated so as to intersect the pivotal axis of the gun, but is arranged outside thereof. In this case, naturally, the horizon-adjustment device must first be fixed to the ship by means of a device for imparting a counter-rotation thereto.

I claim:

A gun mounting for use on unstable platforms, ships, and the like, comprising a base fixed on the platform, a carriage member pivotable on said base about a vertical axis, means for supporting a gun including trunnions, a horizon adjustment shaft mounted in said carriage, connections between the shaft and said gun supporting means for imparting canting movements to the axis of said trunnions by turning said shaft, a double slide movably mounted on said base, means engaging said slide for actuating the horizon adjustment shaft, said actuating means engaging said shaft at the intersection of the axis of the latter with the aforesaid vertical axis and said slide be ing subject to movements depending on the shifting of said base relatively to the horizon, means for coupling the double slide with said base, means for coupling the double slide with said pivotable member, and means for selectively operating said coupling means to engage one of them while disengaging the other. CARL WANINGER. 

